Heart implant

Abstract

The invention relates to a heart implant comprising a tubular attachment element (1) for attaching a sheath, particularly having a sheath being coaxially positioned around at least a part of the tubular attachment element (1) and fixed to it, the tubular attachment element (1) having a lower end (1a) and an upper end (1b) and being split into several strips (2) at the upper end (1b), the strips (2) forming an expandable cage (C), particularly for fixing the heart implant to the atrium of the heart by surface contact between an exterior surface of the expandable cage (C) and an interior atrium surface, wherein in an expanded state the strips (2) extend from the upper end (1b) towards the lower end (1a) of the tubular attachment element (1) and form an expanded cage (C) being positioned around at least an upper part of the tubular attachment element (1).

Description

RELATED APPLICATION(S)[0001]This application is a National Phase of PCT Patent Application No. PCT / EP2016 / 000866 having International filing date of May 25, 2016. The contents of the above application are all incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein in their entirety.FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention relates to a heart implant, particularly a heart implant being configured to reduce or eliminate a heart valve insufficiency after implantation into the heart.[0003]Typically such implants are positioned in such a way that a closure element of the implant is situated in the valve annulus and closes a remaining gap of the closed valve leaflets. For that purpose the closure element is connected to an anchoring element being configured to fix the closure element within the heart in the desired position i.e. in the valve annulus preferably to be contacted by the closing valve leaflets.[0004]It is known in the art to use an anchoring element punctured int...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0022]This construction facilitates to prolongate the tubular attachment element in relation to the embodiments known from the mentioned documents. Accordingly the upper end of the tubular attachment element may be positioned very close to the top of the atrium. This provides an improved axial stiffness of the entire device due to the high axial stiffness of the tubular attachment element and the fact that the axial flexibility of the strips may only allow axial movement in the strongly reduced area between the upper end of the tubular element and the top of the atrium.

[0062]Different cut patterns in the lower and upper part of the tubular attachment element provide the possibility to have different flexibility in these two parts. The flexibility is chosen to be high enough in order to push the collapsed implant through the curved catheter. But the flexibility of the upper part may be chosen to be smaller than the flexibility in the lower part in order to assure the intention of the invention to have improved axial stiffness and thus to reduce axial movability of the closure body formed of the sheath or inflatable membrane surrounding at least the lower part of the attachment element.

Problems solved by technology

Such axial compliance may be regarded as unfavorable in particular cases.

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